Lithium Rising — Documentary Screening + Talk with Director Samuel George

The Goethe-Institut San Francisco invites you to a special screening of Lithium Rising: The Race for Critical Minerals, a documentary from the Bertelsmann Foundation.

Join us April 8th for a screening and discussion with film director, Samuel George.

Click to See the Trailer

The Documentary:

Lithium Rising examines the global race for critical minerals—the metals powering the energy transition. Filmed across five continents, the documentary explores how accelerating demand for lithium, cobalt, nickel and other essential materials is reshaping geopolitics while placing significant environmental and social pressures on frontline communities.

From the salt flats of the Andean highlands to cobalt mining regions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the film introduces miners, Indigenous leaders, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the promises and tensions of a rapidly expanding resource economy. Whether confronting water scarcity in Chile’s Atacama Desert or land-use and tribal sovereignty disputes in Nevada, Lithium Rising reveals how the push for decarbonization risks repeating extractive patterns of the past.

With on-the-ground access and sweeping visuals, the film asks a central question: who benefits from the energy transition—and who bears its costs?

About Samuel George

Dr. Samuel George is Director of Bertelsmann Foundation Documentaries, where he produces films at the intersection of geopolitics, economics, and social change. An award-winning filmmaker, his work examines how global forces—from energy transitions to industrial competition—shape communities and political outcomes.

His documentaries have broadcast nationally on PBS, streamed on leading platforms, and screened at film festivals, universities, and policy forums across the United States and Europe. In addition to filmmaking, he writes on international political economy and global supply chains. Dr. George holds a PhD from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

About Bertelsmann Foundation Documentaries

Bertelsmann Foundation Documentaries produces films that illuminate the defining political, economic, and social questions of our time. We use documentary storytelling to make complex global dynamics accessible to wider audiences.

Our work explores governance, democratic institutions, digital transformation, and global supply chains—particularly where these issues intersect. Through on-the-ground reporting and rigorous analysis, our films encourage informed dialogue rather than advancing a predetermined agenda.

Our documentaries have broadcast nationally on PBS, streamed on leading platforms, and screened at film festivals, universities, and policy forums across the United States and Europe. As a nonprofit organization, our films are freely available to expand access and public engagement. Visit us online at www.bfnadocs.org

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Goethe-Institut San Francisco